# Is "Over Sea, Under Stone" by Susan Cooper a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper (Jonathan Cape, 1965) is identified by: True first is the 1965 Jonathan Cape UK edition stating First published 1965, with textured paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering, and illustrations by Margery Gill, in the first-issue pictorial jacket with its printed price to the inside flap. The UK Jonathan Cape 1965 edition is the true first; the US Harcourt, Brace & World edition followed in 1966 and is a separate, later issue.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the 1965 Jonathan Cape UK edition stating First published 1965, with textured paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering, and illustrations by Margery Gill, in the first-issue pictorial jacket with its printed price to the inside flap
- Cooper's first novel and the first book of the Dark Is Rising sequence
- Publisher imprint reads Jonathan Cape
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Susan Cooper |
| Publisher | Jonathan Cape |
| Year | 1965 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first is the 1965 Jonathan Cape UK edition stating First published 1965, with textured paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering, and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the 1965 Jonathan Cape UK edition stating First published 1965, with textured paper-covered boards, gilt spine lettering, and illustrations by Margery Gill, in the first-issue pictorial jacket with its printed price to the inside flap. Cooper's first novel and the first book of the Dark Is Rising sequence.

## Is this the true first?
The UK Jonathan Cape 1965 edition is the true first; the US Harcourt, Brace & World edition followed in 1966 and is a separate, later issue. This is the only title in the sequence for which the UK edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
US Harcourt copies (1966) are not the true first. Club editions carry a blind-stamp and lack the original price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Over Sea, Under Stone* by Susan Cooper a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/over-sea-under-stone
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.